Orthodontic Manchester Treatment - How Are Teeth Moved?

Orthodontic Manchester Treatment – How Are Teeth Moved?

It’s fair to say that most people know that teeth straightening in Manchester involves orthodontic Manchester treatment. Where typically a series of fixed brackets and wiring move teeth through applying sustained gentle force, Invisalign Manchester utilises a series or aligners (trays) to gradually move teeth. Either way teeth are realigned through force; but how exactly does this work? Let’s take a closer look.

You may be surprised to know that tooth movement is actually quite a complex process and it involves many different cells, tissues, and sensing signallers. When force is applied to the tooth root via the brackets and wiring of an orthodontic appliance, the tissues surrounding the bone and the cells within the tooth are stimulated to act.

Firstly pressure directed at the point of the orthodontic bracket applies both pressure and tension down at the tooth root. This then signals to cell sensors to take action. In this case cells surrounding the tooth (known as osteoplasts and osteoclasts) work to add and/or remove bone respectively, depending upon which direction the force is being applied. As such there’s a time lag from the point of pressure to the moment any tooth movement occurs. This delay in movement results in the way that the body adds or removes bone adjacent to the tooth. On most occasions when pressure is applied, the bone that’s closest to the tooth root isn’t moved initially. Instead bone some distance away from the root is removed at first.

Gradually after a period of 1-2 weeks the teeth straightening Manchester process starts to become more noticeable as the bone undergoes significant and more rapid changes. At this point bone is now being removed and being rebuilt closer to the new position of the tooth root, and as a result the next few weeks will see more noticeable changes. However this does depend heavily on the amount of force still active against the tooth.

So what does all of this mean for a patient seeking orthodontic Manchester treatment? In essence this has a bearing on the frequency of ongoing adjustment appointments. For example early on in the treatment the dentist may use a flexible tensioning wire with a longer activation time. This is so that gentle force is sustained over a longer period of time, and allows for easier stimulation, which in turn kick-starts the realignment process. With this in mind appointments might be somewhere between 6-12 weeks apart. However as the treatment progresses the wires will be less flexible and as a result more frequent activation is needed to maintain stimulation. This is why later on in the treatment appointments might be 2-6 weeks apart.

Ultimately the length of treatment does depend upon the severity of a patient’s condition. In addition there are also many variables that can shorten or lengthen treatments. These include patient co-operation (this applies to removable appliances such as Invisalign Manchester), speed of bone growth/regeneration, and speed of tooth movement. For this reason each treatment is different,

If you need teeth straightening Manchester and would like to talk to us about Invisalign Manchester or any other form of orthodontic Manchester treatment, contact Church Road Dental and Cosmetics on 0161 660 1218 today and book a consultation. Dr Karim and the team are here to answer any question or concerns you may have, allowing you to make an informed dental decision.